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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fork — in a road
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — the season
  12. roll — a list
  13. root — the cause
  14. clip — a video
  15. spring — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com